2 January 2005 Arsenal (2) 4 (Henry (pen) 30, Hoyte 45, Van Persie (pen) 76, 90) Charlton (0) 0 SENT OFF : Sankofa (Charlton) 28 Arsenal had few problem seeing off lowly Charlton in a game where they could have easily doubled the four goals that they did score. Charlton held out for almost half an hour before a shot from Cesc Fabregas took a wicked deflection and looped against the bar and as Robin Van Persie went to bury the the loose ball, he was held back by Osei Sankofa who was shown a straight red card. Thierry Henry, returning from injury, easily netted from the spot. On half time the lead was doubled from the unlikely boot of Justin Hoyte who played a neat one-two with Henry before clipping past Scott Carson and inside the far post from an acute angle. Two Van Persie goals wrapped it up. Firstly from another penalty, blasted in after Henry had his shirt pulled by Souleymane Diawara and then in stoppage time he was set up by Mattieu Flamini to score with a cheeky chip. Attendance : 60,057 Assists : Van Persie (won pen), Henry, Henry (won pen), Flamini Aston Villa (0) 0 Chelsea (0) 0 No goals at Villa Park as Chelsea again lost the chance to gain ground on Man United at the top. Chelsea had the better of a goalless first half yet never really got into top gear with Ashley Cole coming as close as anyone with a header straight at keeper Gabor Kiraly. The second half was more of the same with Villa a little more of a threat but largely frustrating the Champions. Late on, Frank Lampard shot over from close range and Didier Drogba headed over the bar in a half that saw no shots on target! Attendance : 41,006 Assist : n/a 1 January 2005 Happy New Year to one and all.... Liverpool (0) 0 Chelsea (0) 1 (Cole 80) Chelsea start the new year as they ended the old, with a hard fought away win courtesy of a late goal from Joe Cole, this time Liverpool were on the receiving end. Liverpool had by far the better of the first half with Petr Cech saving well from a clearance which thudded goalwards off of Antonio Nunez and then watching as Jamie Carragher smashed an effort just over. The hosts also had two decent penalty shouts turned down, including a handball against Tiago where it appeared that the referee put the whistle to his mouth only to change his mind. The second half was more even and more scrappy, however the points were clinched with ten minutes remaining when a deep corner was met at the far post by the unmarked Glen Johnson, his cushioned header was perfect for Cole to strike from the edge of the area and it found the net via a deflection off of the boot of Carragher. Assist : n/a Aston Villa (0) 1 (Solano 88) Blackburn (0) 0 Villa maintained their surge for a European spot with a late winner against struggling Blackburn. A poor game was decided when Nol Solano nodded in Gareth Barry's corner, although the ball went in via a defender on the goalline. Assist : Barry (ck) Bolton (0) 1 (Diouf 85) West Brom (1) 1 (Gera 13) Bolton ended their run of recent defeats but only thanks to a late equaliser at home to bottom club West Brom. Like many games on New Years Day, it was played in awful conditions with rain and strong wind dominating and they probably played a part as the visitors took an early lead. A mishit shot by Jonathon Greening fell to Zoltan Gera and his effort from the edge of the area slid into the bottom corner. Bolton earned a point with five minutes left as Andy Hunt's cross was turned in off the bar by El Hadji Diouf. Assists : Greening, Hunt Charlton (1) 1 (El Karkouri 45) Arsenal (1) 3 (Ljungberg 35, 48, Van Persie 67) Arsenal keep up their relentless pursuit of Chelsea with a good victory at Charlton, themselves in decent recent form. The Gunners took the lead when Patrick Vieira surged into the area and found Freddie Ljungberg who turned and shot home despite the close attention of three defenders. Charlton levelled matters on the stroke of half time when a free kick was touched to Talal El Karkouri and his blistering 30 yard effort flew into the net, however three minutes after the restart, Ljungberg fired in his second after a superb backheel by Cesc Fabregas had given him the chance to run on. The points were secured when Robin Van Persie latched onto an awful back header by Jonathon Fortune to volley home from a tight angle. Assists : Vieira, Holland (fk), Fabregas, n/a Fulham (1) 3 (Cole 4, 60, Radzinski 73) Crystal Palace (1) 1 (Johnson (pen) 35) Fulham earn some breathing space ahead of the relegation zone with a victory against London and drop zone rival Crystal Palace. The hosts took an early lead when Thomasz Radzinski played in Andrew Cole who turned and shot home the first Prem goal of 2005, however Palace equalised when Andy Johnson was tripped in the area by keeper Edwin van Der Sar and then fired the penalty home, although the Dutch stopper did get his hand to the ball. Cole then restored the lead on the hour after collecting a pass from Steed Malbranque, he beat two men and toepoked the ball in and the win was wrapped up when Malbranque crossed for Radzinski to slide in at the far post and add the third. Assists : Radzinski, Johnson (won pen), Malbranque, Malbranque Man City (2) 2 (Bosvelt 19, Wright-Phillips (S) 40) Southampton (0) 1 (Phillips (pen) 90) Southampton remain in serious trouble at the bottom after another defeat, this time at the hands of Man City. The home side had blown a win in their previous home game against West Brom courtesy of a freak own goal by Richard Dunne, however he had a hand in both goals this time around as firstly his far post header from a corner was nodded in by Paul Bosvelt and then his pass to Shaun Wright-Phillips saw the youngster turn brilliantly, run at goal and then drill the ball from from 25 yards off the post. Saints did grab a late consolation thanks to a blasted penalty by Kevin Phillips, however the kick was awarded because Peter Crouch seemed to fall over a combination of his feet and the ball, rather than from a tackle by Sylvain Distin. Assists : Dunne, Dunne Newcastle (2) 2 (Ameobi 6, Bowyer 44) Birmingham (0) 1 (Heskey 64) Three useful points for Newcastle, although they were made to swaet a little by Birmingham's second half comeback. The home side took an early lead when Shola Ameobi headed home powerfully from Craig Bellamy's cross and with half time approaching, the lead was doubled when Laurent Robert took advantage of a slip by Mario Melchiot and crossed for Lee Bowyer to fire in. Birmingham pulled a goal back when Clinton Morrison set up Emile Heskey to blast a shot inside the near post, but the equaliser never arrived. Assists : Bellamy, Robert, Morrison Portsmouth (0) 1 (Yakubu (pen) 61 Norwich (1) 1 (Francis 9) RED CARD: Edworthy (Norwich) 5 Remarkable game at Fratton Park that saw a three times taken penalty and visitors Norwich a man down and a goal up inside the opening nine minutes. The red card came as Diomansy Kamara threatened to burst clear and was tripped by Marc Edworthy. Despite being 40 yards from goal, the referee produced a straight red for one of the quickest sendings off in Premiership history. Norwich made light of it though and took the lead shortly afterwards when a cross by Darren Huckerby was cleared to Damien Francis who controlled the ball on his chest and volleyed in from the edge of the area. The equaliser came on the hour after a handball in the area by Leon McKenzie gave Yakubu a chance from the penalty spot and although he cheekily chipped keeper Robert Green, the referee awarded a retake due to Kamara being almost level with his team mate as he struck the ball. Yakubu then sent Green the wrong way only for another encroached played to be spotted by the eagle-eyed official who awarded the kick to be taken yet again. Third time lucky for Portsmouth as Yakuby produced a carbon copy of his second effort to earn a point. Assists : n/a, n/a Spurs (2) 5 (Marney 16, 80, Ziegler 27, Mendes 59, Keane 68) Everton (1) 2 (Cahill 40, McFadden 87) Spurs are rapidly challenging the Big Three as regards recent form is concerned as they walloped fourth placed Everton in a game that they could have easily netted double their eventual five. Twenty year old debutant Dean Marney stole the show with two goals, the first a lovely lob after Robbie Keane had flicked on a chip from Pedro Mendes and the second with ten minutes to go, a fine run from the half way line, culminating with a brilliant curling effort from fully 25 yards. There was much to admire between his brace though as Reto Ziegler doubled the lead with what was also his first goal of a season, a near post volley after Fredi Kanoute was nodded on a long throw. Everton then pulled one back as a double header from Marcus Bent set up Tim Cahill to score with a stinging volley, however the two goal cushion was restored when Mendes decided that his first goal for the club was overdue also and having collected a pass from Kanoute, made space on the edge of the area and fired in. Keane added a fourth with a far post tap in as Marney turned provider and after the youngster's encore, Everton had the final say when Cahill found James McFadden wide and he belted the ball inside the far post. Assists : Keane, Kanoute, Bent, Kanoute, Marney, Carrick, Cahill Middlesbrough (0) 0 Man United (1) 2 (Fletcher 9, Giggs 79) Man United kept the pressure on Arsenal and Chelsea with a comfortable win at Middlesbrough with Ryan Giggs again at the heart of the victory. It was a shot from the Welshman that helped open the scoring as his effort was parried by Mark Schwarzer only for Darren Fletcher to tap home the rebound. The lead was doubled late on when Eric Djemba-Djemba found Giggs on the edge of the area and having jinked past one man, he prodded the ball past the keeper and it rolled agonisingly over the line inside the far post. Assists : n/a, n/a Gary Dowden - Joint Admin Topica Premier-L list http://www.topica.com/lists/premier-L Leeds United and Scotland and proud of it http://www.peanutsfan.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/footiemad The Unofficial Premiership Site |